Monday, April 6, 2009

Binghamton cops defend response to shooting -- Newsday.comThe police around the country have had their hands full and receive criticism from every direction. The issue of whether to approach a police call with abundant caution or with a friendly demeanor is something most of us will not have to face. Yet, the chance of making the wrong decision can be fatal. The Binghamton police acted with an abundance of caution, perhaps reading about the friendly Oakland California police who were shot dead while making a traffic stop.

The environment in which police must operate is becoming increasingly menacing. The Pittsburgh cop-killer was said to think the police were government agents trying to take his guns away. The Oakland California cop-killer was a Poster-Child-Hater-Hero of the Uhuru Movment, a racist extremist group spouting modified 60s slogans encouraging death of "the pigs" and the "imperialist oppressors." I can just imagine those guys in uniform.

We need to realize that the police are just like the rest of us, trained (mostly) and dressed up in uniforms. We need to humanize them, not demonize them. Some people may not agree with this. For them, I would say: Next time you need the police for something, phone the Uhuru Movement and ask them to help you.